Fast & furious Siraj out to extend good run
HYDERABAD : There is one name apart from PV Sindhu’s that is doing the rounds in Hyderabad these days. Mohammed Siraj, the 22-year-old fast bowler, is still young in his domestic career but slowly building a reputation for consistently clocking over 140kmph and firing yorkers.
The lanky pacer, who got 41 wickets in this season’s Ranji Trophy, aims to deliver in the shortest format, at the upcoming South Zone T20 tournament. Siraj believes his game is suitable for all formats and he is confident of making life difficult for batsmen yet again.
with the bat as well
“I rely a lot on yorkers. That kind of bowling is suitable for every format. I know that I will be among the wickets again in the T20s. Also, the whole team is raring to go, and the Ranji stint has made us really confident,” Siraj told Express.
Siraj, who was named in the Rest of India side for the Irani Cup game, has shown that he is a useful batsman lower down the order. He backs himself to hit some meaty blows and scored 26 runs off 31 balls in the first innings in the Irani game against Gujarat.
“I am a confident batsman and like to go for my shots. Since my early days, I wanted to bat in one fashion — hit the ball. It works for me. If I can chip in with 20-25 quick runs, they could benefit the team,” Siraj added.
With the prerequisites of a good T20 player, Siraj hopes that a soild performance in Chennai might land him a contract with a franchise of the Indian Premier League. It would be a game-changer for him.
“If I deliver, I could bag a contract with an IPL franchise. The difference here is that when such a team selects you, it gives a sense of confidence to the player. That could really boost a player’s performance. So I’m hopeful, but my focus is on the upcoming matches.”
Hyderabad is due to face Goa in their first match. Talking on his team’s chances, Siraj said, “T20 is a different ball game. You can’t predict anything. One day you might win, next day you might lose. But one thing is for sure, we are going to play to the best of our abilities,” he concluded.
madhav@newindianexpress.com